Crouch comments immediately backfire after calling out Man Utd transfer mistake
Peter Crouch has stuck the boot into Erik ten Hag for missing out on one of Manchester United's transfer targets - but his comments backfired immediately.
Ten Hag overhauled his squad this summer by bringing five new players to the club, despite seemingly being hampered by Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. But the gripes of Crouch relate to the previous summer, shortly after the ex-Ajax boss had walked through the door at Old Trafford.
At the time, United were being linked with a move for Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma. Indeed, the club reportedly contacted their London rivals to check on his availability, but the 25-year-old was never considered a genuine option with Ten Hag instead pursuing Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong.
Ultimately, he got neither, with Bissouma instead heading to Tottenham in a £25million deal. And despite struggling in his first season under Antonio Conte, the Mali international has excelled so far this season with Ange Postecoglou in charge at Spurs.
Speaking on TNT Sports ahead of Tottenham's clash with Luton, Crouch inadvertently highlighted the error Ten Hag made in not following up United's interest. "Yves Bissouma is not just a player who will sit in front of the back four, he has many more aspects to his game," he said.
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"He can pick up the ball, dribble, and get the ball into Son, Maddison and others. He is an incredibly talented footballer and is right up there in terms of the best midfielders in the league this season. His confidence that he is showing in his game now makes it even more strange what happened under Antonio Conte last year."
Yves Bissouma in action for Spurs against Liverpool (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Erik ten Hag be sacked if Brentford beat Man United? Comment below.
However, Crouch was left with his head in his hands soon after as Bissouma was sent off in a moment of madness before the game had even reached half-time when he received a second yellow card for a blatant and poorly executed dive.
While Crouch may rue his timing, his thoughts on United do carry some weight. Their transfer mishap has been exposed by Ten Hag's recent midfield reinforcements struggling to settle at Old Trafford. Mason Mount came on board from Chelsea for £55m, but is yet to impress amid an injury-plagued start to the season.
The much-sought after Sofyan Amrabat has arrived on loan from Fiorentina, but is currently being deployed as a left-back with United short of defensive cover. And his apparent lack of position awareness came under scrutiny in the recent defeats to Crystal Palace and Galatasaray.
Indeed, the club head into Saturday's home clash with Brentford looking to avoid a fifth Premier League loss in just eight matches. They've already recorded the club's worst top-flight start for 34 years.
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